A Dough-y Day

Yesterday was a dough-filled day ... we made homemade play-dough (apple pie scented) and homemade cloud dough (pumpkin pie scented). Our room smelled SO good! 

Mrs. Connie mixes up the playdough.

Mrs. Libby stirs the pot ... literally! 

As much fun as it was watching the dough be prepared, the most fun of course was playing with it! Our budding artists made sculptures and our future chefs used cookie cutters to cook all kinds of delicious delicacies for each other and for their teachers!

Messy fun is the best kind of fun!

Sorry, moms and dads ... we got a tad bit dirty today! :-)

I think his hands were the cleanest part of his body!

If you'd like to try making your own play dough or cloud dough at home, here are the recipes:

Play Dough

(this is the recipe we used for K3; if making it for one or two children, halving the recipe would be fine)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• cups warm water
• 1 cup salt
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)
• food coloring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)
• scented oils

Mix all ingredients together and stir over low heat. (We used an electric skillet.) The dough will begin to thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes. When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove the pan from the heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle. Then, continue mixing with hands until color or scented oil is fully mixed. If your play dough is still sticky, it needs to cook longer!  Keep stirring and cooking until the dough is dry and feels like play dough.

Cloud Dough
(also known as moon dough, this is similar to moon sand, but not quite as horrific to clean up)

• 1/2 cup baby oil
• 4 cups flour

Some recipes call for a 1:5 ratio (1 cup oil, 5 cups flour), so it might be best to start with a little oil and work your way up. Mix these together and voila ... that's it! You've got moldable sand that will keep your child happy for a decent amount of time!

Store cloud dough and play dough in ziplock bags or tupperware, and it should be reusable for at least a month.